Contradicting the state government’s repeated claims of giving top priority to the health sector, healthcare services in the rural hospitals are in bad shape, with especially the Primary Health Centers (PHCs) grappling with shortage of doctors and lack of adequate infrastructure.The matter has come to a stage where patients now prefer to find a private physicians rather than visiting these hospitals.Sources in the health department Wednesday told KNS that, the MBBS doctors with the help of some higher ups in health department are managing to retain their preferred postings. The doctors appointed in the PHC’s and other health centers hardly go to their place of duty citing various reasons,” sources said.
Sources said that the doctors initially enter the government health service by getting appointment in the District hospitals and thereafter manage to get transfer to other choice places. Due to this practice, the hospitals are facing the problem of unavailability of doctors for long time.Sources said that pregnant women in the rural areas are forced to travel long distances and that too in critical condition for delivery in urban institutions.Sources said the healthcare facilities in rural areas are still way below standards, especially on account of shortage of doctors, paramedical staff and lack of adequate infrastructure.
Sources further said that poor healthcare services in the PHCs have led to overcrowding in urban hospitals.However the doctors say that the conditions are discouraging and most of the primary health centers do not have facilities. “It is inconvenient to treat people without the facilities in these hospitals. The authorities have failed to provide facilities in the PHC’s and other health centers in rural areas,” one of the doctors working in the Sub district hospital Chadoora said. (KNS)